Method and apparatus for hardware/firmware trap

ABSTRACT

A method and an apparatus for a hardware/firmware trap. At least one set of a firmware code is executed for operation of the device. Modification to the operation of the device is performed. The modification to the operation comprises: receiving a patch code; creating a firmware trap; generating an interrupt in response to the firmware trap; and executing the patch code in response to the interrupt.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/755,425 filed on Jan. 5, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to implantable medical devices and,more particularly, to a hardware/firmware trap for efficiently modifyingan operation of an implantable medical devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Since the introduction of the first implantable pacemakers in the 1960s,there have been considerable advances in both the fields of electronicsand medicine, such that there is presently a wide assortment ofcommercially available body-implantable electronic medical devices. Theclass of implantable medical devices now includes pacemakers,implantable cardioverters, defibrillators, neural stimulators, and drugadministering devices, among others. Today's state-of-the-artimplantable medical devices are vastly more sophisticated and complexthan earlier ones. Today's state-of-the-art implantable medical devicesare capable of performing significantly more complex tasks. Thetherapeutic benefits of such devices have been well proven.

As the functional sophistication and complexity of implantable medicaldevice systems have increased over the years, it has become increasinglyuseful to include a system for facilitating communication between oneimplanted device and another implanted or external device, for example,a programming console, monitoring system, or the like. Shortly after theintroduction of the earliest pacemakers, it became apparent that itwould be desirable for physicians to non-invasively obtain informationregarding the operational status of the implanted device, and/or toexercise at least some control over the device, e.g., to turn the deviceon or off or adjust the pacing rate, after implant. As new, moreadvanced features have been incorporated into implantable devices, ithas been increasingly useful to convey correspondingly more informationto/from the device relating to the selection and control of thosefeatures.

In particular, implantable pacemaker therapies have grown in number andcomplexity. In conventional devices this growth in the number andcomplexity of the various implantable pacemaker therapies has led tonumerous feature interactions. These feature-to-feature interactions mayadversely affect the efficacy of various of the implantable pacemakertherapies. Additionally, conventional devices have provided support fordownloadable software, also known as random access memory-ware(RAMware), but the RAMware designs for conventional devices typicallyare uniform, documented in the product specification, firmwarefunctional design and code listings, “set in stone” as it were.Consequently, the RAMware designs for conventional devices typically aredifficult to design and/or implement and are relatively inflexible andexpensive to reprogram, change and/or improve. For example, a set of“patch points” are provided, a fixed number of points in the code where“patch” code could be checked for and, if present, executed.

These patch points typically are not in locations best suited for aparticular RAMware application, resulting in a limitation of thefunctionality of the RAMware application. This limitation of thefunctionality of the RAMware application has typically made RAMwareimpractical for many complex features, restricting the use of RAMware toprimarily short-term research tools. This limitation of thefunctionality of the RAMware application could also inflate the size ofa patch, since large block of code that had been bypassed often neededto be replicated to achieve the desired functionality. Since the RAMwareapplications have to reside among the existing “tasks” in the embeddedfirmware, the RAMware applications could also create timing problems,making it difficult for the firmware to achieve all of the firmwaredeadlines. Additionally, there is typically no way to preserve and/orback up a RAMware application through a device reset.

Many times it may be desirable to modify the normal operation of theimplanted medical device. However, interrupting the normal flow ofoperations of the medical device can cause the device to becomeunstable. For example, executing the number of correction codes in RAMmemory may cause errors in the operation of the implanted medicaldevice, due to data loss in the RAM memory. Furthermore, data in RAMmemory may be lost due to resets, or other electronic events. Therefore,using current methodologies, it is difficult and inefficient to performpatchwork corrections, modifications, and/or upgrades to the operationof the implanted medical device.

The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducingthe effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided forperforming a hardware/firmware trap. At least one set of a firmware codeis executed for operation of the device. Modification to the operationof the device is performed. The modification to the operation comprises:receiving a patch code; creating a firmware trap; generating aninterrupt in response to the firmware trap; and executing the patch codein response to the interrupt.

In another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is provided fora hardware/firmware trap. The apparatus of the present inventioncomprises: a controller for executing at least one set of a firmwarecode; and a hardware/firmware trap unit operatively coupled with thecontroller, the hardware/firmware trap to provide a firmware trap forinterrupting normal execution of the firmware code and executing a patchcode in response to the hardware/firmware trap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich the leftmost significant digit(s) in the reference numeralsdenote(s) the first figure in which the respective reference numeralsappear, and in which:

FIGS. 1-18 schematically illustrate various embodiments of a method anda device according to the present invention; and, more particularly:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an implantable medical device (IMD)system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a general block diagram of electroniccircuitry for the implantable medical device (IMD) system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a perspective view of one embodiment ofthe programming unit for the implantable medical device (IMD) system ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a general block diagram of variousillustrative embodiments of a method and a device according the presentinvention comprising an implantable medical device (IMD) and animplantable medical device (IMD) controller using a pre-emptivereal-time operating system (RTOS), the controller having a firmwarearchitecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modularfeature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible featureimplementation;

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an implantable medical device (IMD)controller having a plurality of modular features;

FIG. 6 schematically illustrates controlling an implantable medicaldevice (IMD) using an implantable medical device (IMD) controller byadding a modular feature to lower level firmware;

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates controlling an implantable medicaldevice (IMD) using an implantable medical device (IMD) controller bymodifying a modular feature in lower level firmware;

FIG. 8 schematically illustrates controlling an implantable medicaldevice (IMD) using an implantable medical device (IMD) controller bydeleting a modular feature from lower level firmware;

FIG. 9 schematically illustrates an implantable medical device (IMD)controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) havinga scheduling mechanism, a downloadable software interface and anon-volatile memory;

FIG. 10 schematically illustrates an implantable medical device (IMD)controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) havinga scheduling mechanism with a priority inheritance protocol, adownloadable software interface and a non-volatile memory;

FIG. 11 schematically illustrates an implantable medical device (IMD)controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) havinga scheduling mechanism, a downloadable software interface with calltables and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM) non-volatile memory;

FIG. 12 schematically illustrates an implantable medical device (IMD)controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) havinga scheduling mechanism with a priority inheritance protocol, adownloadable software interface with call tables and an electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) non-volatile memory;

FIG. 13 schematically illustrates a block diagram depiction of animplementation of a hardware/firmware trap, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention is illustrated;

FIG. 14 schematically illustrates a block diagram depiction ofinteraction between the CPU of FIG. 2 and the hardware/firmware trapunit of FIG. 13, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated;

FIG. 15 schematically illustrates a block diagram depiction of oneembodiment of the trapping unit of FIG. 14, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention is illustrated;

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates a flowchart depiction of the method ofimplementing a hardware/firmware trap, in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 17 schematically illustrates a flowchart depiction of the method ofdetermining a modification to the execution of the firmware code of theimplanted medical device using a hardware/firmware trap, as indicated inFIG. 16, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 18 schematically illustrates a flowchart depiction of the method ofsetting-up a hardware/firmware trap, as indicated in FIG. 16, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by wayof example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It shouldbe understood, however, that the description herein of specificembodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particularforms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In theinterest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation aredescribed in this specification. It will of course be appreciated thatin the development of any such actual embodiment, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effortmight be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

Illustrative embodiments of an apparatus and a method for operation ofthe apparatus according to the present invention are shown in FIGS.1-12. FIG. 1 illustrates an implantable medical device (IMD) system 108,which includes, for example, an implantable pacemaker 110 that has beenimplanted in a patient 112. The pacemaker 110 is housed within ahermetically sealed, biologically inert outer canister or housing 113,which may itself be conductive so as to serve as an electrode in thepacemaker's pacing/sensing circuit. One or more pacemaker leads,collectively identified with reference numeral 114 in FIG. 1 areelectrically coupled to the pacemaker 110 in a conventional manner andextend into the patient's heart 116 via a vein 118. Disposed generallynear a distal end of the leads 114 are one or more exposed conductiveelectrodes for receiving electrical cardiac signals or deliveringelectrical pacing stimuli to the heart 116. The leads 114 may beimplanted with their distal end situated in either the atrium orventricle of the heart 116.

Although the present invention is described herein in an embodiment thatincludes a pacemaker, it may be advantageously embodied in numerousother types of implantable medical device systems in which it isdesirable to provide a communication link between two physicallyseparated components and retrieve data stored therein.

FIG. 1 also depicts an external programming unit 120 for non-invasivecommunication with the implanted device 110 via conventional uplink anddownlink communication channels, which are not described in greaterdetail herein so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the instantinvention. Associated with the programming unit 120 is a programminghead 122, in accordance with conventional medical device programmingsystems, for facilitating two-way communication between the pacemaker110 and the programmer 120. In many known implantable device systems,the programming head 122, such as that depicted in FIG. 1, is positionedon the patient's body over the implant site of the device 110 (usuallywithin about 2 to about 3 inches, or equivalently, about 5 to about 8cm, of skin contact), such that one or more antennas within the head 122can send radio frequency (RF) signals to, and receive radio frequency(RF) signals from, an antenna (not shown) disposed within the hermeticenclosure of the implanted device 110 or disposed within a connectorblock 111 of the device 110, in accordance with common practice in theart.

FIG. 2 provides a general block diagram of electronic circuitry thatmakes up the pacemaker 110. The pacemaker 110 is a device capable ofperforming a variety of functions, such as delivering electricalstimulation therapy to the patient 112 in accordance with the presentlydisclosed embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 shows that pacemaker 110comprises circuitry for controlling the device's pacing and sensingfunctions. Aspects of the pacemaker circuitry may be of conventionaldesign, in accordance; for example, with what is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 5,052,388 issued to Sivula et al. and entitled “Method and Apparatusfor Implementing Activity Sensing in a Pulse Generator.” The '388 patentis hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

To the extent that certain components of the circuitry of the pacemaker110 are conventional in their design and operation, such components willnot be described herein in detail, as it is believed that design andimplementation of such components would be a matter of routine practiceto those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the circuitry of thepacemaker 110 shown in FIG. 2 includes sense amplifier circuitry 224,stimulating pulse output circuitry 226, a crystal clock 228, arandom-access memory and read-only memory (RAM/ROM) unit 230, and apacing timing and control circuit in the form of a programmed centralprocessing unit (CPU) 232, all of which are well-known in the art.

The pacemaker 110 also includes an internal telemetry communicationscircuit 234 coupled to an antenna 236 so that it is capable ofcommunicating with the external programmer/control unit 120. Varioustelemetry systems for providing the uplink and downlink communicationchannels between the external programming unit 120 and the implantedpacemaker 110 have been shown in the art and may be employed hereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the instant invention.Exemplary communication telemetry systems that may be utilized hereinare disclosed, for example, in the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. No.4,539,992 to Calfee et al. entitled “Method and Apparatus forCommunicating With Implanted Body Function Stimulator,” U.S. Pat. No.4,550,732 to Batty Jr. et al. entitled “System and Process for Enablinga Predefined Function Within An Implanted Device,” U.S. Pat. No.4,751,589 to Slocum et al. entitled “Biomedical Implant With High Speed,Low Power Two-Way Telemetry,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,248 to Berntsonentitled “Circuit for Controlling a Receiver in an Implanted Device,”U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,404 to Wyborny et al. entitled “Telemetry Format forImplanted Medical Device,” U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,235 to Keller, Jr. et al.entitled “Programmer for Implanted Device,” the above-referencedMarkowitz '382 patent and U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,063 to Thompson et al.entitled “Telemetry System for a Medical Device.” The Wyborny et al.'404 patent and the Thompson et al. '063 patent are hereby incorporatedby reference herein in their respective entireties.

With continued reference to FIG. 2, the pacemaker 110 is coupled to oneor more leads 114 which, when implanted, extend transvenously betweenthe implant site of the pacemaker 110 and the patient's heart 116, aspreviously noted with reference to FIG. 1. Physically, the connectionsbetween the leads 114 and the various internal components of thepacemaker 110 are facilitated by a conventional connector block assembly111, shown in FIG. 1 but not shown in FIG. 2. Electrically, the couplingof the leads 114 and the internal electrical components of the pacemaker110 may be facilitated by a lead interface circuit 219, which functions,in a multiplexer-like manner, to selectively and dynamically establishnecessary connections between various conductors in the leads 114,including, for example, atrial tip and ring electrode conductors ATIPand ARING and ventricular tip and ring electrode conductors VTIP andVRING, and individual electrical components of the pacemaker 110, aswould be familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art. For the sake ofclarity, the specific connections between the leads 114 and the variouscomponents of the pacemaker 110 are not shown in FIG. 2, although itwill be clear to those of ordinary skill in the art that, for example,the leads 114 will necessarily be coupled, either directly orindirectly, to sense amplifier circuitry 224 and stimulating pulseoutput circuitry 226, in accordance with common practice, such thatcardiac electrical signals may be conveyed to the sense amplifiercircuitry 224, and such that stimulating pulses may be delivered tocardiac tissue, via the leads 114.

It will be appreciated that the signals received over the leads 114 bythe sense amplifier circuitry 224 may be collected and stored in theRAM/ROM unit 230 by the CPU 232 acting under control of software alsostored in the RAM/ROM unit 230. Additional data, such as the timing ofsignals delivered by the stimulating pulse output circuitry 226 may alsobe stored in the RAM/ROM unit 230. This stored data may be laterretrieved and delivered to the programming unit 120 via the telemetrycommunications circuit 234.

As previously noted, the circuitry of the pacemaker 110 includes thecentral processing unit (CPU) 232 which may be an off-the-shelfprogrammable microprocessor or microcontroller, but in the presentlyillustrated embodiment of the invention is a custom integrated circuit.Although specific connections between the CPU 232 and other componentsof the pacemaker circuitry are not shown in FIG. 2, it will be apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art that the CPU 232 functions tocontrol the timed operation of the stimulating pulse output circuit 226and the sense amplifier circuit 224 under control of a program ofinstructions stored in the RAM/ROM unit 230. The crystal clock 228 inthe presently illustrated embodiment is a crystal controlled oscillatorthat provides a main timing clock signal. Again, the lines over whichsuch clock signals are provided to the various components of thepacemaker 110 (e.g., the CPU 232) are omitted from FIG. 2 for the sakeof clarity. It is believed that those of ordinary skill in the art willbe familiar with such an operative arrangement.

It is to be understood that the various components of the pacemaker 110depicted in FIG. 2 are powered by means of a battery (not shown), whichis contained within the hermetic enclosure of the pacemaker 110, inaccordance with common practice in the art. For the sake of clarity inthe drawings, the battery and the connections between it and the othercomponents of the pacemaker 110 are not shown.

Stimulating pulse output circuitry 226, which functions to generatecardiac stimuli under control of signals issued by the CPU 232, may be,for example, of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,868 toThompson, entitled “Body Stimulator Output Circuit,” which patent ishereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Again, however,it is believed that those of ordinary skill in the art could select fromamong many various types of prior art pacing output circuits, whichwould be suitable for the purposes of practicing the present invention.

The sense amplifier circuitry 224, may be, for example, of the typedisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,357,943 to Thompson, entitled “DemandCardiac Pacemaker Having Reduced Polarity Disparity,” which patent ishereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Generally, thesense amplifier circuitry 224 functions to receive electrical cardiacsignals from the leads 114 and to process such signals to derive eventsignals reflecting the occurrence of specific cardiac electrical events,including atrial contractions (P-waves) and ventricular contractions(R-waves). These event-indicating signals are provided to the CPU 232for use by the CPU 232 in controlling the synchronous stimulatingoperations of the pacemaker 110 in accordance with common practice inthe art. In addition, these event-indicating signals, as discussedabove, may be communicated, via the uplink communication channel, to theexternal programming unit 120 for storage and visual display to aphysician or clinician.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the pacemaker110 may include numerous other components and subsystems, for example,activity sensors and associated circuitry. The presence or absence ofsuch additional components in the pacemaker 110, however, is notbelieved to be directly pertinent to the present invention, whichrelates generally to the firmware architecture of a portion of theRAM/ROM unit 230, permitting modular feature design for the pacemaker110, and to the method of operation of this firmware architecture.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the programmingunit 120 in accordance with the presently disclosed embodiment of theinvention. Internally, the programmer 120 includes a processing unit(not shown), which in accordance with the presently disclosed embodimentof the invention is a personal computer-type motherboard, for example, acomputer motherboard including an Intel 80×86 microprocessor or the likeand related circuitry such as digital memory.

Referring to FIG. 3, the programming unit 120 comprises an outer housing360, which is preferably made of thermal plastic or another suitablyrugged yet relatively lightweight material. A carrying handle,designated generally as 362 in FIG. 3, is integrally formed into thefront of the housing 360. With the handle 362, the programming unit 120can be carried like a briefcase.

An articulating display screen 364 is disposed on an upper surface ofthe housing 60. The display screen 364 folds down into a closed position(not shown) when the programming unit 120 is not in use, therebyreducing the size of the programming unit 120 and protecting the displaysurface of the display 364 during transportation and storage thereof.

A floppy disk drive is disposed within the housing 360 and is accessiblevia a disk insertion slot (not shown). A hard disk drive is alsodisposed within the housing 360, and it is contemplated that a hard diskdrive activity indicator (e.g., an LED, not shown) could be provided togive a visible indication of hard disk activation.

As would be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, it isoften desirable to provide a means for the programming unit 120 to adaptits mode of operation depending upon the type of implanted device to beprogrammed. Accordingly, it may be desirable to have an expansioncartridge containing EPROMS or the like for storing program informationto control the programming unit 120 to operate in a particular mannercorresponding to a given type of implantable device.

In accordance with the presently illustrated embodiment of theinvention, the programming unit 120 is equipped with an internal printer(not shown) so that a hard copy of a patient's electrocardiogram (ECG)or of graphics displayed on the programmer's display screen 364 can begenerated. Several types of printers, such as the AR-100 printeravailable from General Scanning Co., are known and commerciallyavailable.

In the perspective view of FIG. 3, the programming unit 120 is shownwith the articulating display screen 364 having been lifted up into oneof a plurality of possible open positions such that the display areathereof is visible to a user situated in front of the programming unit120. The articulating display screen 364 is preferably of the LCD orelectro-luminescent type, characterized by being relatively thin ascompared, for example, a cathode ray tube (CRT) or the like. The displayscreen 364 is operatively coupled to computer circuitry disposed withinthe housing 360, and is adapted to provide a visual display of graphicsand/or data under control of the internal computer.

One embodiment of the programming unit 120 described herein withreference to FIG. 3 is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No.5,345,362 issued to Thomas J. Winkler, entitled “Portable ComputerApparatus With Articulating Display Panel,” which patent is herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Also, the MedtronicModel 9760 or 9790 programmers are other implantable device programmingunits with which the present invention may be advantageously practiced.

Turning to FIG. 4, a general block diagram of various illustrativeembodiments of a device according the present invention is shown,comprising an implantable medical device (IMD) 400 and an implantablemedical device (IMD) controller 410 controlling the implantable medicaldevice 400. The implantable medical device (IMD) 400 may comprise animplantable pulse generator (IPG) for an implantable pacemaker, such asan implantable anti-brady pacemaker and/or an implantable anti-tachypacemaker. The implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 may havehigher level firmware 420 and lower level firmware 430. The implantablemedical device (IMD) 400 and the implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410 may communicate via coupler 440. The implantable medicaldevice (IMD) controller 410 uses a pre-emptive real-time operatingsystem (RTOS). The implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 has afirmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design,modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensiblefeature implementation.

As shown in FIG. 5, the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) may have aplurality of modular features, such as first modular feature 500 andsecond modular feature 510. The firmware architecture of the implantablemedical device (IMD) controller 410 may coordinate between and among theplurality of modular features, such as the first modular feature 500 andthe second modular feature 510, to reduce feature-to-featureinteractions.

The implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 may also have aconverter (not shown) enabling efficient conversion between at least oneidentifiable first modular feature, for example, the first modularfeature 500, working in a rate domain (beats per minute or BPM), and atleast one identifiable second modular feature, for example, the secondmodular feature 510, working in an interval domain (usually inmilliseconds or msec). The converter may be included in the higher levelfirmware 420 and/or the lower level firmware 430. Alternatively, and/oradditionally, the converter may be included elsewhere in the implantablemedical device (IMD) controller 410. Some modular features output adesired pacing rate, and a higher level firmware “arbitrator” (such asfirmware arbitrator 530 disposed in the higher level firmware 420, asshown in FIG. 5) may decide to use the desired pacing rate output by themodular feature or use another value from a different modular feature.

As shown in FIGS. 6-8, controlling the implantable medical device (IMD)400 using the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 with thepre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) may comprise at least oneof adding a modular feature to the firmware, modifying a modular featureof the firmware and deleting a modular feature from the firmware. Asshown in FIG. 6, for example, controlling the implantable medical device(IMD) 400 using the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 maycomprise adding a modular feature, such as added modular feature 600, tothe lower level firmware 430. As shown in FIG. 7, for example,controlling the implantable medical device (IMD) 400 using theimplantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 may comprise modifying amodular feature, such as modified modular feature 700, in the lowerlevel firmware 430. As shown in FIG. 8, for example, controlling theimplantable medical device (IMD) 400 using the implantable medicaldevice (IMD) controller 410 may comprise deleting a modular feature,such as deleted modular feature 800 (shown in phantom), from the lowerlevel firmware 430.

The implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 firmwarearchitecture, described in more detail below, allows at least one ofmodular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensiblefeature design and extensible feature implementation. In variousillustrative embodiments, the firmware architecture itself, with thehigher level firmware 420 communicating with and/or directing the lowerlevel firmware 430 via bus 520, coordinates between and among theplurality of modular features, such as the first modular feature 500 andthe second modular feature 510, to reduce feature-to-featureinteractions. For example, the firmware architecture may coordinatebetween and among the first modular feature 500 and the second modularfeature 510 to reduce feature-to-feature interactions by testing thefirst modular feature 500 and/or the second modular feature 510 to debugthe first modular feature 500 and/or the second modular feature 510.

As shown in FIG. 9, the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) may have ascheduling mechanism 900. The implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410 may also have a downloadable software interface 910and/or a non-volatile memory 920.

As shown in FIG. 10, the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) may have ascheduling mechanism 1000 with a priority inheritance protocol. Theimplantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 with the pre-emptivereal-time operating system (RTOS) having the scheduling mechanism 1000with the priority inheritance protocol may be capable of being analyzedusing rate monotonic analysis. The implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410 with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS)having the scheduling mechanism 1000 with the priority inheritanceprotocol may be used in devices and/or systems that areresource-constrained, in terms of read-only memory (ROM), random accessmemory (RAM), power consumption, central processing unit (CPU)bandwidth, and the like. The implantable medical device (IMD) controller410 with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having thescheduling mechanism 1000 with the priority inheritance protocol mayalso have a downloadable software interface 1010 and/or a non-volatilememory 1020.

As shown in FIG. 11, the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) may have ascheduling mechanism 1100. The implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410 may also have a downloadable software interface 1110 withone or more call tables and/or an electrically erasable programmableread-only memory (EEPROM) non-volatile memory 1120.

As shown in FIG. 12, the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) may have ascheduling mechanism 1200 with a priority inheritance protocol. Theimplantable medical device (IMD) controller 410 with the pre-emptivereal-time operating system (RTOS) having the scheduling mechanism 1200with the priority inheritance protocol may be capable of being analyzedusing rate monotonic analysis. The implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410 with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS)having the scheduling mechanism 1200 with the priority inheritanceprotocol may be used in devices and/or systems that areresource-constrained, in terms of read-only memory (ROM), random accessmemory (RAM), power consumption, central processing unit (CPU)bandwidth, and the like. The implantable medical device (IMD) controller410 with the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having thescheduling mechanism 1200 with the priority inheritance protocol mayalso have a downloadable software interface 1210 with one or more calltables and/or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory(EEPROM) non-volatile memory 1220.

The firmware architecture of the implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410 is designed to be modular and/or extensible and providesimproved support for downloadable software, also known a RAMware. Invarious illustrative embodiments, the firmware architecturalimprovements include the use of a real-time operating system (RTOS) thatprovides pre-emptive scheduling and has facilities to prevent deadlockand unbounded priority inversion as well as support for rigorous timinganalysis.

Downloadable software (RAMware) is the ability to load new software(executable code and not merely parameter values) into the implantablemedical device (IMD) controller 410 via telemetry, for example, througha downloadable software interface 1210 with one or more call tables, asdescribed above. This downloadable code (RAMware) may be backed up in anelectrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)non-volatile memory 1220, for example, so that the downloadable code(RAMware) could provide a permanent change to the therapy program forthe implantable medical device (IMD) 400 that is capable of surviving adevice reset.

The firmware architecture of the implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410, in various illustrative embodiments, uses pre-emptionand allows downloadable software (RAMware) applications to create theirown independent tasks. This is unlike conventional devices, as describedabove, in which the RAMware applications have to reside among theexisting “tasks” in the embedded firmware, where the RAMwareapplications could create timing problems, making it difficult for thefirmware to achieve all of the firmware deadlines.

The firmware architecture of the implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410, in various illustrative embodiments, makes use ofevent-driven intertask communication, call tables and a pre-emptivereal-time operating system (RTOS). Consequently, the firmwarearchitecture of the implantable medical device (IMD) controller 410, inthese various illustrative embodiments, allows a downloadable software(RAMware) application to be designed in a similar manner to the designof a read-only memory (ROM)-resident application. The downloadablesoftware (RAMware) applications in the implantable medical device (IMD)controller 410, in these various illustrative embodiments, have accessto the full range of functionality provided in the embedded firmware,including all preemptive real-time operating system (RTOS) services. Thedownloadable software (RAMware) function calls may be inserted and/orappended to read-only memory (ROM)-resident function call tables.Alternatively, and/or additionally, the downloadable software (RAMware)function calls may replace read-only memory (ROM)-resident entities inthe function call tables.

A downloadable software (RAMware) application in the implantable medicaldevice (IMD) controller 410, in these various illustrative embodiments,may be created as a new foreground task. Similarly, since thedownloadable software (RAMware) application in the implantable medicaldevice (IMD) controller 410, in these various illustrative embodiments,may be backed up in an electrically erasable programmable read-onlymemory (EEPROM) non-volatile memory, the downloadable software (RAMware)application may be offered as a permanent, life-critical therapy withoutconcern about being lost due to a device reset. Furthermore, a temporarydownloadable software (RAMware) application, for research-orientedpurposes, for example, may be downloaded “on top of” a permanentdownloadable software (RAMware) application, allowing devices withpermanent downloadable software (RAMware) applications to be included inresearch studies.

The downloadable software (RAMware) applications in the implantablemedical device (IMD) controller 410, in various illustrativeembodiments, may be thoroughly analyzed to allay concern for possibledisruption of the proper functioning of read-only memory (ROM)-residentfeatures, since the architecture may be subjected to rigorous timinganalysis, due to inclusion of a priority inheritance protocol in thepre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS).

The modular features may operate in the “rate domain,” wherecalculations are performed in units of beats per minute (bpm). Using8-bit values for these calculations can provide a resolution of 1 beatper minute (1 bpm) steps over a range from 0 bpm to 255 bpm (2⁸=256),which is acceptable for brady and tachy therapy applications. Inalternative illustrative embodiments, 16-bit values for calculations maybe used that can provide a resolution of 1 operation per minute (1 oppm)steps over a range from 0 oppm to 65535 oppm (2¹⁶=65536), which isacceptable for certain types of neurological therapy applications.

As described above, some modular features output a desired pacing rate,and a higher level firmware “arbitrator” (such as firmware arbitrator530 disposed in the higher level firmware 420, as shown in FIG. 5) maydecide to use the desired pacing rate output by the modular feature oruse another value from a different modular feature. In the simplestform, the highest pacing rate is chosen by the higher level firmwarearbitrator. In a more complex form, a higher pacing rate may losepriority to some modular feature that has a lower pacing rate. Somemodular features output an offset value, and a higher level firmwareoperation may combine some or all of the offset values, for example, asin Atrial Ventricular (AV) adaptation. Some modular features may passthrough one or more parameter values, either unmodified or modified, forexample, as in a Sensing Atrial Ventricular (SAV) parameter valuepassing through an Auto Post-Ventricular Atrial Refractory algorithm.

During temporary operation, key pacing therapy parameters, such as Mode,Escape Interval, Pacing Atrial Ventricular (PAV) interval, SensingAtrial Ventricular (SAV) interval, Post-Ventricular Atrial RefractoryPeriod (PVARP), and the like, are held at static values and are notmodified by modular features in the therapy flow. Consequently, modularfeatures do not have to be disabled during temporary operations.

Each modular feature, such as the first modular feature 500 and thesecond modular feature 510, may be a firmware subroutine, for example,in the lower level firmware 430. Each modular feature firmwaresubroutine may be called by the higher level firmware 420. When eachmodular feature is called by the higher level firmware 420, the modularfeature first checks to see if that particular modular feature isprogrammed to be “on,” and then checks for mode pertinency. Thatparticular modular feature algorithm continues to run if, and only if,all the checks pass (that particular modular feature is programmed to be“on” and is pertinent). Otherwise, that particular modular featureoutputs a characteristic default value, such as the relevant rate oroffset value, and/or an unmodified value, and ends.

Furthermore, in alternative embodiments of the present invention, amodification to the operation of the implantable medical device 400 canbe performed. In particular, embodiments of the present inventionprovide for efficiently modifying the execution of firmware coderesiding in the implantable medical device 400. Embodiments of thepresent invention provide for a method and apparatus for patching,modifying, and/or updating firmware code and the functionality of theimplantable medical device 400 in a remote fashion (i.e., communicatingusing a wireless format or other remote communication methods). In oneembodiment, these modifications can be made in the field duringoperation of the implantable medical device 400.

In one embodiment, a hardware/firmware trap (firmware trap) is providedto interrupt the normal flow of execution of software code in theimplantable medical device 400, and to execute additional trap/patchsoftware code (e.g., additional code added to the implantable medicaldevice 400 via the programming unit 120). In one embodiment, when thetrap/patch software code (patch code) is executed, the execution flow ofthe original software code (firmware code) in the implantable medicaldevice 400 is resumed. At least one advantage provided by implementationof the present invention is that the normal firmware execution by theimplantable medical device 400 can be preempted temporarily, and thenreturned to the point in the firmware from which a branch was taken,with virtually minimal external code and effort.

Turning now to FIG. 13, a block diagram depiction of one embodiment ofimplementing a hardware/firmware trap, in accordance with one embodimentof the present invention, is illustrated. In one embodiment, the CPU 232performs tasks that are dictated by firmware stored within the implantedmedical device 400. The firmware, which comprises programs for executionby the CPU 232, may be stored in the RAM/ROM unit 230. The CPU 232acquires program data from the RAM/ROM unit 230 via the bus 520. In analternative embodiment, the firmware code may be stored in anon-volatile memory 1020. In one embodiment, the non-volatile memory1020 may comprise an EEPROM, a PROM, a flash memory unit, and/or othernon-volatile memory devices.

In one embodiment, a hardware/firmware trapping system 1300 may beimplemented such that during the execution of firmware code, the CPU 232may be interrupted and an additional set of code (i.e., trap/patch code)may be executed at a different location, and subsequently, the operationof the implantable medical device 400 may then be brought back to thefirmware code. In one embodiment, a set of software code (i.e.,trap/patch code) may be transferred from the non-volatile memory 1020and moved into a RAM unit 231 in the RAM/ROM unit 230 for an interruptexecution of the set of code. In one embodiment, the RAM unit 231 maycomprise of a plurality of RAM-semiconductor chips. After the executionof the trap/patch code, the CPU 232 may then return to the normalexecution flow of the firmware code. The interruption of the normal flowof the execution of the firmware code, carried out by the CPU 232, maybe performed by a hardware/firmware trap unit 1310. In one embodiment,the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310 may communicate with the CPU 232via the bus 520.

Turning now to FIG. 14, a block diagram depiction of an interactionbetween the CPU 232 and the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention, is illustrated.The CPU 232 may provide a physical address of the program code beingexecuted, to the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310. Therefore, thehardware/firmware trap unit 1310 can monitor the execution flow of thefirmware, as well as the operation flow of the implantable medicaldevice 400, in order to determine an interrupt point for executingtrap/patch software code.

The hardware/firmware trap unit 1310 may comprise a hardware unit, asoftware unit, a firmware unit, and/or a combination of the three. Thehardware/firmware trap unit 1310 may monitor the physical addressreceived from the CPU 232 and determines if an identifier, whichidentifies a particular physical address, has been received. In oneembodiment, a trapping unit 1410 in the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310checks the physical address received from the CPU 232 against aparticular pointer that may be used to trap the firmware code beingexecuted. In one embodiment, the trapping unit 1410 may assert aninterrupt signal, which may be sent to the CPU 232, in response to thedetection of a pointer or event where a hardware/firmware trap should beinvoked into the firmware code. In one embodiment, the interruptgenerated by the trapping unit 1410 may be a non-maskable interrupt(NMI), which interrupts the operation flow of the CPU 232.

The physical address received by the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310may be one of a plurality of address-type such as an independent ROMaddress, a RAM address, memory-mapped register address, an address inthe non-volatile memory 1020, and/or the like. Upon receiving theinterrupt signal on a line 1420, the CPU 232 interrupts the normal flowof the execution of the firmware code and jumps to another location toexecute the trap/patch code. Upon substantial completion of thetrap/patch code, the CPU 232 then returns to the point of the jump, backto the normal flow of firmware execution.

Turning now to FIG. 15, a block diagram depiction of one embodiment ofthe trapping unit 1410 in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention is illustrated. The trapping unit 1410 comprises a firstcomparator unit 1510, a second comparator unit 1530, to an Nthcomparator unit 1550. In one embodiment, N is equal to 4, wherein thetrapping unit 1410 may comprise four comparator units. However, itshould be appreciated that any number of a plurality of comparator unitsmay be present in the trapping unit 1410. In one embodiment, one or morecomparator circuits may reside in each comparator unit 1510, 1530, 1550.

The trapping unit 1410 also comprises a first trap register 1520, asecond trap register 1540, to an Nth trap register 1560, whichrespectively correspond to the first, second through Nth comparatorunits 1510, 1530, 1550. In one embodiment, each trap register 1520,1540, 1560 provides a pointer address, which points to a set oftrap/patch software code, to their corresponding comparator units 1510,1530, 1550. The comparator units 1510, 1530, 1550 perform comparisons ofthe pointer addresses and the physical addresses, in order to determinewhether a trap, or a hook, to interrupt the firmware execution flow, hasbeen recognized. In other words, each of the comparator units 1510,1530, 1550 compares a physical address to data stored in thecorresponding trap register 1520, 1540, 1560, in order to determinewhether a hardware/firmware trap condition has been met.

In one embodiment, the physical address may be a 16-bit address and thedata in the trap register may also consist of a 16-bit value. Thehardware/firmware trap unit 1310 may support the means for hardware togenerate a NMI (Non-Maskable Interrupt) when an instruction is accessedat one of four independent ROM addresses, which may be ahardware/firmware trap. In other words, the hardware will “trap” therunning firmware via the NMI. The addresses that get trapped may bedetermined by the value written into the trap registers 1520, 1540,1560. In one embodiment, the register value written into the trapregisters 1520, 1540, 1560 may comprise sixteen of the seventeen bits ofthe ROM physical address. Therefore, even and odd addresses may beconsidered the same and the normal 20-bit physical address, may bestripped of the ROM index.

To reduce the duplicity between even and odd addresses, a LoadInstruction (LI) signal and a Chip Select (CS) may also be part of thecomparative operation. In one embodiment, the NMI may be cleared byhardware/firmware trap unit 1310 performing a write to at least one ofthe trap registers 1520, 1540, 1560. In one embodiment, a write into thetrap registers 1520, 1540, 1560 is performed, prior to thehardware/firmware trap unit 1310 enabling the NMI vector. This mayreduce the possibility of the hardware/firmware trap being invoked intoan unintended location. Furthermore, hardware/firmware traps may bedisabled by loading a RESET value (e.g., 0xFFFF as the trap address intothe trap registers 1520, 1540, 1560) into the trap registers 1520, 1540,1560.

Any one of the sets of the comparator units 1510, 1530, 1550 and trapregisters 1520, 1540, 1560 may assert a hardware/firmware trap detectionsignal on a line 1561, 1562, or 1563, which may be collected by anOR-function unit 1570, which may comprise one or more OR gates. Theassertion of any one of the hardware/firmware trap detection signals onthe lines 1561, 1562, or 1563 will prompt the OR-function unit 1570 toassert the interrupt signal on the line 1420. The interrupt signal onthe line 1420 is then sent to the CPU 232 to interrupt the flow of thefirmware execution in order to perform the instructions dictated by thetrap/patch code. Upon completion of the patch code, which in oneembodiment is run from the RAM unit 231, the program flow is returned tothe position of the jump made from the firmware code.

In one embodiment, the instruction in the firmware execution flow uponwhich the hardware/firmware trap is triggered, is generally notexecuted. The NMI is triggered sufficiently fast enough such that theinterrupt may be taken by the CPU 232 before the current instruction inthe firmware is executed. Furthermore, the return address on a stackprior to a RTI may be modified. Therefore, the particularhardware/firmware trap may be prevented from being re-triggered. Inorder to execute the firmware instruction upon which a hardware/firmwarewas trapped, in one embodiment, that particular instruction in thefirmware is executed within the time period of the interrupt serviceroutine prompted by the NMI.

In one embodiment, the trap/patch software code is stored in thenon-volatile memory 1020 and moved to the RAM unit 231 for execution.Generally, the firmware code is executed from a ROM space in the RAM/ROMunit 230, in contrast with the trap/patch code, which may be executedfrom the RAM unit 231. Accordingly, the total use of program executionfrom the RAM unit 231 is reduced, thereby increasing the stability ofthe overall implantable medical device 400. In an alternativeembodiment, the trap/patch code may be executed from other memorydevices such as the non-volatile memory 1020. It should be appreciatedthat the trapping unit 1410 may comprise other logiccircuit/software/firmware, such that a number of methods can be used toassert the interrupt signal on the line 1420 based upon identifying ahardware/firmware trap situation. For example, the trap detectionsignals on the lines 1561-1563 can be asserted and an interrupt signalcan be asserted on the line 1420, based upon a program counter used tolocate a specific location in a firmware program flow, a specific event(e.g., end of a pacing therapy), or other conditions.

Turning now to FIG. 16, a flowchart depiction of the method of invokinga hardware/firmware trap, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention, is illustrated. In one embodiment, a modification tobe made to the normal execution of the firmware operation of theimplantable medical device 400 is determined (block 1610). In oneembodiment, a physician or operator can alter the operation of theimplantable medical device 400 by invoking a change into the firmwarecode. For example, the voltage level of a cardiac therapy to bedelivered may be modified. The change to the operation of theimplantable medical device 400 may be created by modifying or adding aset of trap/patch software codes. Modifications, corrections, and/orupgrades to the operation of the implantable medical device 400 may beperformed by adding the trap/patch software into the implantable medicaldevice 400. More specifically, modifications, corrections, and/orupgrades to the operation of the implantable medical device 400 may beperformed by executing the trap/patch software code at particularintervals within the execution flow of the firmware code.

The implantable medical device 400 performs its operations by runningthe firmware code (block 1620). In one embodiment, the firmware iscontinuously executed by the CPU 232. In order to apply the trap/patchsoftware code to the operation of the implanted medical device 400, ahardware/firmware trap is set up in order to interrupt the firmwareexecution flow performed by the CPU 232 (block 1630). In one embodiment,a trap can be set up using a variety of techniques, such as programcounters, checking for particular predetermined events, and/or otherconditions.

Hardware/firmware traps may also be set up in a particular memorylocation such that any device in the implantable medical device 400accessing a particular memory location is sent or jumped to a trap/patchsoftware code. A program counter can maintain a numerical track of theflow of the execution of the firmware code, and enter into a jumpsituation based upon a particular program counter. Furthermore, events,such as the end of a pacing therapy delivery, can prompt the implantablemedical device 400 to jump from a position of execution of the firmware,to the execution of the trap/patch software code.

Upon the interrupt of the firmware execution flow, the implantablemedical device 400 may execute the additional trap/patch softwareprogram (block 1640). The execution of the additional trap/patch codemay be utilized to correct problems with existing operations of theimplantable medical device 400, to add a new function, and/or to upgradethe operation or software of the implantable medical device 400, and thelike. A new function can be added to the implantable medical device 400by executing the additional trap/patch software program. For example,new diagnostic data can be recorded based upon the execution of theadditional trap/patch software code. Furthermore, a particular task canbe added to the implantable medical device 400 based upon the executionof the additional trap/patch software code. For example, the implantablemedical device 400 may perform a particular task every day at 3:00 a.m.In one embodiment, the trap/patch software code is generally executed inthe RAM unit 231.

Once the additional trap/patch software code is executed, theimplantable medical device 400 may return to normal execution of thefirmware program (block 1650). In other words, upon completion of thetrap/patch software code, the CPU 232 may return to the point of theexecution order where the interrupt was received (i.e., the position ofthe firmware execution flow where the hardware/firmware trap was set).Furthermore, the return address of the program counter may be modified.Once the execution of the firmware code has returned to its normalposition, the CPU 232 continues to execute the firmware code and theoperation of the implantable medical device 400 continues in a normalfashion (block 1660).

Turning now to FIG. 17, a flowchart depiction of one embodiment ofdetermining/defining a modification to be made to the operation of theimplantable medical device 400, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention, is illustrated. The software, hardware, or firmwarefor executing the modification (i.e., the patch/modification/upgrade) tothe operation of the implantable medical device 400 is determined (block1710).

The trap/patch software code (patch code) is then stored in non-volatilememory 1020 in the implantable medical device 400 (block 1720). In oneembodiment, trap/patch software code may be downloaded into theimplantable medical device 400 via the programming unit 120. In analternative embodiment, the trap/patch software code may be formed withthe implantable medical device 400 based upon inputs received from theprogramming unit 120.

In one embodiment, the trap/patch code is stored in the non-volatilememory 1020, such as a PROM, an EEPROM, a flash memory, and/or the like.Furthermore, a pointer/address to enable the CPU 232 to locate andrecognize a hardware/firmware trap is provided to the implantablemedical device 400 (block 1730). Using the information provided byperforming the steps indicated in FIG. 17, the hardware/firmware trapunit 1310 and the CPU 232 may be enabled to set up a hardware/firmwaretrap to interrupt the firmware execution flow and execute theappropriate trap/patch software code. The substantial completion of thesteps described in FIG. 17 substantially completes the step ofdetermining/defining a patch/modification/upgrade to the operation ofthe implantable medical device 400, as indicated in block 1610 of FIG.16.

Turning now to FIG. 18, a flowchart depiction of one embodiment ofperforming the set up of a hardware/software trap in order to interrupta firmware execution flow, described in block 1630 of FIG. 16, isillustrated. A method and/or means for the CPU 232 to recognize apointer that leads to a trap/patch software code is set up and providedto the CPU 232 and the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310 (block 1810). Inone embodiment, the trapping unit 1410 is provided to compare a physicaladdress to a trap register address in order to determine if ahardware/firmware trap has been reached. The pointer/address that leadsthe CPU 232 to the trap/patch software may be a program counter used tocount the number of executed program steps in the firmware, which maylead to a jump into the trap/patch software code. In an alternativeembodiment, a particular event, such as an end of pacing therapydelivery, can trigger a jump to the trap/patch software code.Alternatively, the hardware/firmware trap can be set into a particularmemory location, such that any access to that particular memory locationwill cause a jump to the trap/patch software code.

Once a means for the CPU 232 to recognize a pointer/address for ahardware/firmware trap is set up, the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310monitors the execution of the firmware code to check for a particularpointer that may lead to a trap/patch software code (block 1820). Whenthe hardware/firmware trap unit 1310 determines that a particularpointer has not been found, the trap unit 1310 continues to monitor theexecution of the firmware code (block 1830).

When the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310 determines that a pointer isfound, the hardware/firmware trap unit 1310 loads the trap/patch codefrom the non-volatile memory 1020, to the RAM unit 231 for execution(block 1840). Trap/patch software code generally moves from thenon-volatile memory 1020 into the RAM unit 231 via the bus 520. In analternative embodiment, the movement of the trap/patch software code maytake place at an earlier period of time. The CPU 232, then jumps to thetrap/patch code in the RAM unit 231 based upon the pointer/address(block 1850). At this point, the CPU 232 is enabled to execute a set oftrap/patch software codes, which was found and presented by thehardware/firmware trap unit 1310. The completion of the steps describedin FIG. 18 substantially completes the step of setting up a trap tointerrupt the firmware program flow as indicated in block 1630. Theimplantable medical device 400 then continues with the execution of thesteps described in FIG. 16. The teachings of the present invention maybe applied to a variety of electronic devices and remain within thespirit of the present invention.

Any of the above-disclosed embodiments of a method and a deviceaccording to the present invention enables therapy features to bemodular and/or extensible and resolves many feature-to-featureinteractions in implantable medical devices. Additionally, any of theabove-disclosed embodiments of a method and a device according to thepresent invention enables features to be easily and quickly added and/ormodified and/or deleted in a given design and may create interim valuesfor therapy features, simplifying the development and/or testing ofthose features. Furthermore, any of the above-disclosed embodiments of amethod and a device according to the present invention enables featuresto operate in the “rate domain” in beats per minute (bpm), may makestrategic conversions into the “interval domain” for parameter valuesthat are loaded into hardware timing circuitry, may clearly identifywhere modular feature algorithms are working in the rate domain and/orin the interval domain and enables efficient use of conversion betweenthe rate domain and the interval domain.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as theinvention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalentmanners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of theteachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are intended to thedetails of construction or design herein shown, other than as describedin the claims below. It is therefore evident that the particularembodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all suchvariations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention.In particular, every range of values (of the form, “from about a toabout b,” or, equivalently, “from approximately a to b,” or,equivalently, “from approximately a-b”) disclosed herein is to beunderstood as referring to the power set (the set of all subsets) of therespective range of values, in the sense of Georg Cantor. Accordingly,the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below.

1. A method for operating a device, comprising: executing at least oneset of a firmware code for operation of said device; performing amodification to said operation of said device, said modification to saidoperation comprising: receiving a patch code; creating a firmware trap;generating an interrupt in response to said firmware trap; and executingsaid patch code in response to said interrupt.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein executing at least one set of a firmware code for operation ofsaid device further comprises executing at least one set of a firmwarecode for operation of an implantable medical device.
 3. The method ofclaim 2, wherein executing at least one set of a firmware code foroperation of an implantable medical device further comprises executingsaid set of firmware code from a read only memory device (ROM).
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein performing a modification to said operationof said device further comprises performing an upgrade to said firmware.5. The method of claim 1, wherein performing a modification to saidoperation of said device further comprises performing a patchworkcorrection to said firmware.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereinperforming a modification to said operation of said device furthercomprises adding at least one new function to said operation of saiddevice.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a patch code furthercomprises storing said patch code in a non-volatile memory location withsaid device.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trapfurther comprises monitoring said execution of said firmware todetermine a match of a program counter.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein creating a firmware trap further comprises monitoring saidexecution of said firmware to check for a predetermined event.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein creating a firmware trap further comprisesflagging a predetermined location in a memory location within saiddevice.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an interrupt inresponse to said firmware trap further comprises generating anon-maskable interrupt.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating aninterrupt in response to said firmware trap further comprises movingsaid patch code from a non-volatile memory to a random access memory(RAM).
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein executing said patch codefurther comprises executing said patch code stored in said random accessmemory (RAM).
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising returning tosaid executing of said firmware code in response to executing said patchcode. 15-45. (canceled)